INDIANAPOLIS – Shauna-Kay Creary and the 4x400M relay team of Kaydian Jones, Jerily Benjamin, Rochelle Nelson and Simone Grant, will represent the University of the District of Columbia at the 2013 NCAA Division II Women’s Track & Field Championships, May 23-25 in Pueblo, Colo. Creary and the Firebird 4x400M relay team qualified for the championships by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event.
“What a tremendous achievement to cap off what’s been a great year,” head coach Alton McKenzie said. “I’m happy and honored that we’re going to have the opportunity to represent the University of the District of Columbia at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.”
Creary (Accounting – Kingston, Jamaica/St. Andrew HS), who became the first Firebird to compete in the Long Jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala. back in March, will also be the school’s first to compete in two more events – the Triple Jump and the High Jump – at the Outdoor Championships. She is ranked No. 11 in the nation in the High Jump with a season-best jump of 1.73M, and she is No. 14 in the Triple Jump with a season-best mark of 12.30M.
The Firebird 4x400M relay team of junior Kaydian Jones (journalism – Kingston, Jamaica/St. Andrew HS), sophomore Jerily Benjamin (undecided – Queens, NY/Phillip Randolph HS), junior Rochelle Nelson (mass media – Kingston, Jamaica/Holmwood Tech HS) and freshman Simone Grant (health education – Bronx, NY/Pelham Prep Academy) earned an invitation as the No. 13 relay team in the nation with a season-best time of 3:45.64.
“These women have earned the right to be there, and I can’t say enough about how proud they’ve made me feel,” McKenzie said. “I’m also appreciative of the assistance provided by Coach Bembridge in helping the team get to this moment.
But we’re not done yet…there’s still a lot of work to be done in Colorado. We’ll enjoy the moment, but with the goal in mind to go out there and compete to the best of our abilities, just as we’ve done all year.”